Director of Customer Service

Company Description

About Veolia North America

Veolia in North America is the top-ranked environmental company in the United States for three consecutive years, and the country’s largest private water operator and technology provider as well as hazardous waste and pollution treatment leader. It offers a full spectrum of water, waste, and energy management services, including water and wastewater treatment, commercial and hazardous waste collection and disposal, energy consulting and resource recovery. Veolia helps commercial, industrial, healthcare, higher education and municipality customers throughout North America. Headquartered in Boston, Veolia has more than 10,000 employees working at more than 350 locations across North America.

Position Purpose:

The Director, Customer Operations will support Veolia’s customer experience vision by providing leadership and direction for the Customer Operations team in their designated regulated utility division. The incumbent will provide leadership, guidance and subject matter expertise to effectively and efficiently deliver exceptional customer service with a focus on continuous improvement, identifying and implementing operational efficiencies and defining and delivering on SLAs. Direct management of the customer service, contact center, billing, payments and collections activities for the designated regulated utility. The successful Director will continually engage in leading and inspiring internal and external teams in developing and sharing best practices.

Primary Duties/Responsibilities:

Management/Supervision

• Provide strong, dynamic leadership by setting expectations, mentoring, coaching, and guiding team members to drive performance across KPIs (employee, customer, and company).
• Establish and monitor annual performance goals for direct reports and ensure that all department employees receive a performance/development review at least once a year.
• Establish work procedures and processes that support company and departmental strategies, metrics, and standards.
• Prioritize, plan and execute customer operations activities and processes to ensure delivery of high-quality results.
• Provide guidance and performance monitoring to ensure team alignment with organizational objectives and performance targets.
• Apply change management processes and tools to support adoption of new programs, including the design, development, delivery, and management of communications.
• Perform workforce management (WFM) analyses, including staffing, contact volume, seasonality, AHT and call routing.
• Provide guidance and input both tactical and strategical into collection strategies.
• Establish and maintain a performance metrics including service level, call efficiency, abandonment rates, staffing utilization, attrition, and financial performance.
• Prepare, oversee, and be accountable for departmental annual operating budgets.

Key Account Management

• Develop and implement strategies for managing customer accounts and resolving payment issues.
• Prepare and oversee annual customer experience feedback programs and use findings to improve service in line with expectations.
• Ensure customer satisfaction while maintaining KPI levels within expected guidelines.
• Use data from complaints, inquiries, and feedback to improve standards and enhance communication with customers.
• Partner with Operations to deliver excellent customer experiences while driving process improvements.
• Communicate effectively with colleagues, internal/external customers, stakeholders, vendors/consultants, and business partners.

Regulations/Rules/Standard Operating Processes

• Ensure compliance with all regulatory agency (e.g., BPU), environmental, health, safety, and contractual requirements.
• Act as primary liaison to regulatory commission (BPU) for resolving customer complaints and issues.
• Prioritize, plan, and implement billing, payments, and collections, policies to ensure alignment with best-in-class standards.
• Develop, communicate, and enforce policies, procedures, and financial controls to ensure consistent and timely customer service responses.
• Continuously improve and document work processes via Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Ensure compliance with internal controls and other regulatory and contractual guidelines.

Department Improvements/Reports

• Identify process gaps affecting customer or business efficiencies, and implement solutions.
• Analyze billing, payment, receivables, and collection data to identify trends and improvement areas.
• Improve and innovate operations by monitoring performance, resolving risks, completing action plans, and managing process improvements.
• Improve contact center operations through performance monitoring, QA programs, risk mitigation, and system/process enhancements.
• Build business cases and lead projects to enhance departmental capabilities.
• Partner with peers across business units (utilities) to drive systemic improvements and standardization in delivering excellent employee and customer experiences.
• Work cross-functionally with departments (Accounting, Finance, DB&T, Operations, HR) on corporate initiatives to improve customer experience.
• Participate in corporate projects, due diligence, and acquisition integrations.
• Prepare detailed departmental operational and management reports.

Miscellaneous

• Actively and consistently support efforts to simplify and enhance both employee and customer experiences.
• Manage relationships with key service providers to ensure compliance with contractual specifications.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Education/Experience/Background:

• 10+ years’ experience leading service operations.
• 10+ years experience in a leadership role managing non-exempt/exempt employees.
• Leadership experience in a union environment is desired but not required.
• B.S. degree in business or related field.
• MBA preferred but not required.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

• Excellent written and oral communications skills – including report writing, building and giving presentations to senior leaders.
• Strong analytical, organizational, prioritizing, interpersonal, problem-solving, presentation, budgeting, project management (from conception to completion), and planning skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work both autonomously and as part of a team in a fast-paced, matrixed environment.
• Working knowledge of customer information systems (CIS).
• Working knowledge of Google products – sheets, docs, Gmail, - Power BI or similar tools.
• Attention to detail.

Physical Requirements:

Physical:

• Ability to travel when required. Ability to sit for extended time periods.

Sensory:

• Must be able to see clearly and hear. Must be able to speak to give direction and converse with others.

Mental:

• Must be able to read complex operations reports, write detailed reports and prepare and deliver presentations.
• Ability to analyze complex operational and technical challenges and resolve same.
• Ability to interpret and explain complex regulatory requirements.
• Must be able to reason, problem solve and analyze complex operational challenges and resolve same.
• Must be able to learn new technological advances in water industry and train personnel.
• Must be able to work under pressure and meet deadlines.

Additional Information

Pay Range: $135000 to $145000 Per Year.

Benefits: Veolia’s comprehensive benefits package includes paid time off policies, as well as health, dental, vision, life insurance, savings accounts, tuition reimbursement, paid volunteering and more. In addition, employees are also entitled to participate in an employer sponsored 401(k) plan, to save for retirement. Pay and benefits for employees represented by a union are outlined in their collective bargaining agreement.

Sick leave – 56 hours; Observed Holidays – 11 days; Vacation – Flexible Time Off

Eligible for up to 15% Annual Performance Bonus.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer! All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

Disclaimer: The salary, other compensation, and benefits information is accurate as of the date of this posting. The Company reserves the right to modify this information at any time, subject to applicable law.